As a student, everyday life often is hectic and stressful. Finding time to relax between assignments, projects, tests and classes often feels impossible. Deadlines need to be met, topics need to be covered, and academic performances need to be improved: to find sparetime in the schedule for a new hobby is therefore not prioritized by many. Thinking about my own situation, like many; a night off, a gap in the schedule or taking a small break in between studies often leads me to meet up with friends over a beer or watching netflix in bed. But something I’ve been thinking about lately is the importance of prioritizing our hobbies once in a while. This is because of the fact that hobbies provide us with certain benefits even though it often takes up a lot of time and effort.
Hobbies have a distressing effect, enjoying a few hours of something that one loves to do takes off the pressure for a limited period of time, acting as a break, a passage to a different world altogether. Having a hobby is also a good way to increase confidence. It can give you a sense of purpose but also give you something better to do when you find yourself with nothing to fill your time with except watching TV. Spending time doing something you find interesting and fun leads to happy hormones which helps with promoting mindfulness, curing boredom and keeping depression away. You could therefore use a hobby as a way of escaping your looming obligations for an hour or two, rejuvenating your mind and helping you to prepare for challenges that are coming.
One way of escaping your stress and getting your thoughts on something other than studies is to read books. For example, reading before bed as a routine helps you to relax and unwind which can make a difference in being able to push aside anxious thoughts and allow your consciousness to drift off.
Playing an instrument is another hobby that provides a stress reducing environment. According to many studies playing also has a big impact on your learning ability while studying. This is because it involves both sides of the brain in the process. So stop checking your phone in your study pause and instead pick up the guitar!
You can also start making things, for example paint, knit or start attending amateur pottery classes. These types of hobbies, similar to playing instruments, activate both sides of the brain and stimulate the creative parts which can help your learning and concentration abilities. It also provides you with hopefully beautiful items that you can decorate your home with or wear on a cold day. In addition, if you get good and enjoy these hobbies, you can start earning a little money on the side by selling the things you create.
Finding time in your spare time to do other things than just being with friends and browsing new series on Netflix can, as you see, be a very proficient way of both learning new things and having fun doing it. Hobbies can both be good for your studying and help you with new skills that can give you new opportunities and make more friends. These and many more factors exemplify the importance of having hobbies and I hope you find inspiration to try something new.
